Radha (Sanskrit: राधा, IAST: Rādhā), awso cawwed Radhika, Madhavi, Keshavi, Raseshwari, and Radharani is a popuwar goddess in Hinduism, especiawwy in de Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition and is worshipped as de goddess of wove, tenderness, compassion and devotion, uh-hah-hah-hah. She is de eternaw consort of Lord Krishna and resides wif him in deir eternaw abode Gowoka dham. She is de internaw potency or Hwadini Shakti (Bwissfuw energy) of Krishna. According to scriptures, she was de chief of de miwkmaids (brij gopis) who are known for deir supreme devotion towards Krishna. She is de personification of compwete devotion (para bhakti) unto Shri Krishna (Bhakti Devi) and is revered as de epitome of sewfwess wove and service towards Krishna. She is awso considered by some as de feminine form of Lord Krishna himsewf. The whowe worwd wants Krishna but Lord Krishna wants Radha.
She is de eternaw truf.[6][7] Every year Radharani's birdday is cewebrated as Radhashtami.

She is awso considered by some as a metaphor for de human spirit (aatma), her wove and wonging for Lord Krishna is deowogicawwy viewed as symbowic of de human qwest for spirituaw growf and union wif de divine.[8] She has inspired numerous witerary works,[9] and her Rasa wiwa dance wif Krishna has inspired many types of performance arts.[10]

She is awso cawwed Vrindavaneshwari (Queen of de Sri Vrindavan Dham) who appeared as de qween of miwkmaids and qween of Vrindavan-Barsana. She is de supreme goddess in Vaishnavism. She is de Hwadini Shakti (Power of Divine Love) which is de main power of de Godhead Shri Krishna.

Hit Harivansh's and Swami Haridas' books consider Radha de main deity. Here, Radha is not an avatar of Lakshmi but a form of Sri Krishna Himsewf. In de Devi Bhagavat and Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Radha is given as de source of Gopis and de moder of infinite souws.

The Narada-pancaratra states, "Radha is Gokuwesvari, de fuww embodiment of spontaneous wove and de personification of mahabhava [de highest spirituaw state]. Bhagavan Sri Krishna, who is de supreme Isvara of aww existence and de God among gods, is attained by Her mercy. Sri Radha is Krishna’s internaw potency, and She performs worship of Her most bewoved Sri Krishna wif de entire weawf of Her devotion and service."

In Sammohana-tantra, Goddedd Durga says, "The name Durga, by which I am known, is Her name. The qwawities for which I am famous are Her qwawities. The majesty wif which I am respwendent is Her majesty. That Maha-Lakshmi, Sri Radha, is nondifferent from Sri Krishna. She is His dearmost sweedeart and de crest-jewew of His bewoveds."

In Caitanya Charitamrta (Adi-Liwa 4.56), Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami says, "Radha Krishna Ek Atma, Dui Dui Dehadari, Anyaoone Viwase Rasasvadana Kori". This means dat bof Radha and Krishna are one souw who take de form of two individuaw bodies so dat dey can cherish different mood of wove (rasa).[14]

Jagadguru Shri Kripawu Ji Maharaj ewaboratewy described de virtue of Radha and has given a brief description of Shri Radha in his wectures and Kirtans. He has said, "She is de Supreme Goddess and is worshipped by everyone incwuding Godhead Shri Krishna himsewf and dat's why she is cawwed Radha, which means "one who is de form of worship."

The term is rewated to Rādha (Sanskrit: राध), which means "kindness, any gift but particuwarwy de gift of affection, success, weawf".[12] The word appears in de Vedic witerature as weww as de Epics, but is ewusive.[7]

Radha is an important goddess in de Vaishnavism traditions of Hinduism. Her traits, manifestations, descriptions, and rowes vary by region, uh-hah-hah-hah. Since de earwiest times, she has been associated wif de cowherd Krishna, who is de speaker of de Bhagavad Gita.[6] In de earwy Indian witerature, mentions of her are ewusive. The traditions dat venerate her expwain dis is because she is de secret treasure hidden widin de Upanishads, Puranas, and Tantra. During de Bhakti movement era she became more weww known as her extraordinary wove for Krishna was highwighted.[15]

According to Jaya Chemburkar, dere are at weast two significant and different aspects of Radha in de witerature associated wif her, such as Sriradhika namasahasram. One aspect is she is a miwkmaid (gopi), anoder as a femawe deity simiwar to dose found in de Hindu goddess traditions.[16] She awso appears in Hindu arts as ardhanari wif Krishna, dat is an iconography where hawf of de image is Radha and de oder hawf is Krishna. This is found in scuwpture such as dose discovered in Maharashtra, and in texts such as Shiva Purana and Brahmavaivarta Purana.[17] In dese texts, dis ardhanari is sometimes referred to as Ardharadhavenudhara murti, and it symbowizes de compwete union and inseparabiwity of Radha and Krishna.[17]

Birdpwace of Radha is actuawwy Ravaw which is near Gokuw but is often said to be Barsana where she wived after her marriage. It is in Barsana dat de Ladmar Howi is practised depicting de episode of Krishna going to Barsana and den running away escaping de beating from de womenfowk of Barsana. Radha asked Krishna why he can't marry her, de repwy came “Marriage is a union of two souws. You and I are one souw, how can I marry mysewf?”[18] Severaw Hindu texts awwude to dese circumstances.[8]

Radha's story has inspired many paintings. Above: Radha waiting for Krishna by Raja Ravi Varma.

According to David Kinswey, a professor of Rewigious Studies known for his studies on Hindu goddesses, de Radha-Krishna wove story is a metaphor for divine-human rewationship, where Radha is de human devotee or souw who is frustrated wif de past, obwigations to sociaw expectations and de ideas she inherited, who den wongs for reaw meaning, de true wove, de divine (Krishna). This metaphoric Radha (souw) finds new wiberation in wearning more about Krishna, bonding in devotion and wif passion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[8][19]

Certainwy dis particuwar gopī has perfectwy worshiped de aww-powerfuw Personawity of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pweased wif Her dat He abandoned de rest of us and brought Her to a secwuded pwace

The Radha-Krishna and Sita-Rama pairs represent two different personawity sets, two perspectives on dharma and wifestywes, bof cherished in de way of wife cawwed Hinduism.[21] Sita is traditionawwy wedded: de dedicated and virtuous wife of Rama, an introspective temperate paragon of a serious, virtuous man, uh-hah-hah-hah.[22][23][24] Radha is a power potency of Krishna, who is a pwayfuw adventurer.[22][21]

Radha and Sita offer two tempwates widin de Hindu tradition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[21] If "Sita is a qween, aware of her sociaw responsibiwities", states Pauwews, den "Radha is excwusivewy focused on her romantic rewationship wif her wover", giving two contrasting rowe modews from two ends of de moraw universe. Yet dey share common ewements as weww. Bof face wife chawwenges and are committed to deir true wove. They are bof infwuentiaw, adored and bewoved goddesses in de Hindu cuwture. They bof are avatars of Goddess Lakshmi.

In some devotionaw (bhakti) traditions of Vaishnavism dat focus on Krishna, Radha represents "de feewing of wove towards Krishna".[9] For some of de adherents of dese traditions, her importance approaches or even exceeds dat of Krishna. Radha is worshipped awong wif Krishna in Bengaw, Assam and Odisha by Vaishnava Hindus. Ewsewhere, such as wif Visnusvamins, she is a revered deity.[25] She is considered to be Krishna's originaw shakti, de supreme goddess in bof de Nimbarka Sampradaya and fowwowing de advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu awso widin de Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, uh-hah-hah-hah.[9][11]

Radha Chawisa mentions dat Krishna accompanies one who chants "Radha" wif pure heart. Oder gopis are usuawwy considered to be sewf-wiwwing maidservants (Sevika) of Radha. Radharani's superiority is seen in Krishna's fwute, which repeats de name Radha.

Radha's connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married rewationship) and parakiya-rasa (a rewationship signified wif eternaw mentaw "wove"). The Gaudiya tradition focuses upon parakiya-rasa as de highest form of wove, wherein Radha and Krishna share doughts even drough separation, uh-hah-hah-hah. The wove de gopis feew for Krishna is awso described in dis esoteric manner as de highest pwatform of spontaneous wove of God, and not of a sexuaw nature.[citation needed]

Radha and Krishna are de focus of tempwes in de Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vawwabhacharya, Chandidas and oder traditions of Vaishnavism.[11] She is typicawwy shown standing immediatewy next to Krishna.[11] Some important Radha tempwes are:

^Kinswey, D. (2010). "Widout Krsna There Is No Song". History of Rewigions. 12 (2): 149. doi:10.1086/462672. Retrieved 3 May 2008. "Nimbarka seems to have been de first weww-known rewigious weader to regard Radha as centraw to his worship (dirteenf century)"